Giving 6 month old water?

Question

I know this is a pregnancy forum, but us ladies that were pregnant on here seem to post about our children now too, I hope its ok.

Anyways- how much water should I give my son? He just turned 6 months. We breastfeed and use formula. 

thanks

JoyRenee · Answer

Yeah, the only reason I said cup, not bottle, is because he's old enough to start trying from a cup and doctor's recommend this to prevent tooth decay. A 2-month-old obviously can't drink out of a cup, LOL!

pinkbelle · Answer

I too have given Aubree juice in a bottle since she was 2 months old.. she was so badly constipated it was the only thing that helped.. just be careful like joy said not to give too much water because it can harm your baby..

diela · Answer

i give my baby water since he is 2 months old. he is 4 months old. if i dont, he will just get constipated with hard stool.He is on formula and do not take any cereal or solid food just yet. sometimes, he prefer water over milk. i guess he is just thirsty. and other times, he refused water and wants milk. i guess he knows better when he is hungry or thirsty.

JoyRenee · Answer

Babies really don't need water. It can mess up their electrolytes. There is plenty of water in breastmilk/formula. The only time you'd need to supplement is in the hot, summer months.

You can make him a cup (not bottle!) of half juice and half water when he's constipated. Babies don't even really need juice either, unless they need to have a bowel movement, which is probably why WIC provides it. 

I would not give him more than 2 ounces of a juice/water mixture per day, unless he's really constipated. Even then, he's old enough to have pureed prunes/applesauce!

Your question is totally cool, too. We're not strict here! I love hearing all the newborn/baby/kid questions.

pinkbelle · Answer

i give my daughter about 2 to 3 ounces of water a day.. I mix her juice half water half juice so thats where she gets most of the water... my ped said it was fine to give her water( shes 7 mths old) afterall sometimes babies just get thirsty.. and you can give it to them in a bottle if you want

sweetangel7 · Answer

It appears that 2 oz would be the MAX for a 6 mo. old...

Here is something I found : 
For babies past the newborn stage

    * Too much water can interfere with breastfeeding because it fills baby up so that he nurses less. Babies need the nutrition and calories in breastmilk to grow - water has none of these.
    * Breastmilk has all the water your baby needs, even in very hot weather.
    * When your 4-6 month old baby is learning to use a cup, giving him a few sips of water a couple of times a day (no more than 2 ounces per 24 hours) is fine and fun.
    * Once baby starts solids, you might want to give him a few sips of expressed milk or water with his solids - some babies need this to prevent constipation.

wild.blue · Answer

hmmm..

I'm wondering because I have WIC and they supply juice for babies at the 6 month point. I can ask them, but I wanted to give him some water tonight. Guess I'll just wait.. I have a DR appt. soon anyways

Just wondering how much water to give - maybe 2 ounces ??

sweetangel7 · Answer

I have heard that you do not need to supplement with any water...the breast milk and formula will provide all the hydration necessary.

alaysha · Answer

He should get the majority of water he needs from his formula and your breast milk. However, I used to give Aspen a bottle of water while she was playing or sitting around in between feedings.